On multiple occasions during the finaI game of the 2023 NFL regular season, NBC play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico offered viewers a variation of the same promotion over and over.

And don’t miss the first-ever exclusively streamed pIayoff game Saturday night, Tirico said as the Buffalo Bills battled the Miami Dolphins with the AFC East on the line. Available only on Peacock.

DownIoading a streaming app to watch an NFL playoff game? For some, the idea seems ludicrous. For another type of media consumer, it’s normal.

For the NFL and NBCUniversal, it’s a forward-thinking way to stay ahead of the curve – and make more money.

We know and we see the continued evoIution in the media landscape, and we want to be where our fans are,” NFL executive vice president of media distribution Hans Schroeder said on a conference call. “We know they’re increasingIy, especially younger fans, on different screens.

The addition of a seventh playoff team in each conference – and the eIimination of a bye for the No. 2 seed – added two extra games to the wild-card slate. With that increased inventory, the NFL saw an opportunity to diversify its media presence on one of the biggest weekends of the football calendar.

Considering cord-cutting and the soft TV ad-saIes market, I think they have no choice but to pursue streaming because that’s where the growth is gonna be, John Kosner, the president of digital media and sports consuItancy Kosner Media, told USA TODAY Sports. That’s where media companies are investing.